This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-062090 filed Mar. 6, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a code reading apparatus adapted to optically read an optically readable code on a recording medium, the recording medium recording data as the optically readable code, and also to a recording medium for recording such a code. The present invention also relates to an entertainment system using such a code reading apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various code reading apparatuses adapted to optically read a code from a recording medium on which records data as an optically readable code such as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional bar code are known.
Information output from such a known code reading apparatus of the above identified type is unequivocally defined for a code reading operation of the operator. Therefore, when such a code reading apparatus is applied to an entertainment system such as a game machine, the latter allows the user to play only simple games. Similarly, educational equipment provided with such a code reading apparatus allows the user to use only simple learning processes. Thus, such apparatus inevitably have a limit in terms of making them enjoyable to operators and exciting their interest.
In view of the above identified circumstances, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a code reading apparatus comprising a randomness providing means for providing the code read by the apparatus with randomness so that the apparatus may give a surprise to the operator for an operation performed on it by the operator in order to make it suitably applicable to an entertainment system or educational equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an entertainment system that comprises a code reading apparatus according to the invention and can give the user who is playing on the system a wide variety of enjoyments by utilizing the randomness provided by the code reading apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a code reading apparatus comprising:
a reading section for optically reading an optically readable code from a recording medium on which records data as the optically readable code;
an output section for performing an output based on the outcome of the code reading operation of the reading section; and
a randomness providing section for providing the outcome of the code reading operation of the reading section with randomness, thereby providing the output of the output section based on the outcome of the code reading operation with randomness.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an entertainment system comprising:
an operating section for receiving an operation command from the user;
an output section for performing at least one of a display output and a sound output adapted to vary according to the operation command received by the operating section;
a reading section for optically reading an optically readable code from a recording medium on which records data as the optically readable code; and
a randomness providing section for providing the outcome of the code reading operation of the reading section with randomness at the time of the output operation of the output section on the basis of the outcome of the code reading operation of the reading section, thereby providing the output of the output section based on the outcome of the code reading operation with randomness.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording medium comprising:
a part recording data as an optically readable code; and
a part recording no code, wherein the data recorded as a code includes information to be provided with randomness and a plurality of pieces of information to be used for providing randomness; and
the output of the information to be provided with randomness is varied according to the piece of information for providing randomness selected from the plurality of pieces of information as a result of an operation of reading the code by a code reading apparatus reading.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording medium comprising:
a part recording data as an optically readable code; and
a part recording no code, wherein
the data recorded as a code includes information to be provided with randomness and a program adapted to select a motion out of a plurality of motions; and
one of the motions is selected to vary the output of the information to be provided with randomness as a result of an operation of reading the code by a code reading apparatus reading.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording medium comprising:
a part recording data as an optically readable code; and
a part recording no code, wherein
the data recorded as a code includes information to be provided with randomness and a program adapted to handle program parameters; and
the program parameters is varied to vary the operation of the program and also the output of the information to be provided with randomness as a result of an operation of reading the code by a code reading apparatus reading.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.